YARMOUTH, N.S. - Search officials resumed aerial surveillance at first light Thursday as they scoured waters off Nova Scotia for a missing fishing boat and its captain.
The search in an area about 30 kilometres northwest of Yarmouth had to be scaled back late Wednesday amid snowsqualls and high winds.
Since then, there's been no sign of the 17-metre boat Pubnico Explorer or its captain, who was reported to be wearing an immersion suit.
Three other crew members were rescued from a life-raft after the dragger began to sink and they were taken back to their home port in Meteghan, N.S.
A Hercules aircraft and a Cormorant helicopter involved in the search were forced to leave the area, because the conditions made it impossible for them to use their search lights properly.
But Maj. James Simiana of the search and rescue centre in Halifax said that the aircraft were back in the air early Thursday, having left their home base at C.F.B. Greenwood in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.
He said the Hercules was busy gathering weather data over the search area that it would relay to the Cormorant which was following it to the scene.
"The weather still remains the same, but this time around it won't be as much of an issue because those aircraft won't have to create their own illumination to see what they are looking for in the search area," said Simiana.
Simiana said wave conditions had increased in the area overnight, to the extent that efforts by the coast guard vessel that stayed to continue the search have been hampered.
He said wave swells had increased to between three and five metres in height.
"The Edward Cornwallis is still out there," he said. "Apparently wave conditions are a bit of a factor in terms of her ability to do the search."
Simiana said the deteriorating situation on the water could likely force search officials to make a decision on whether or not to keep the ship in the area later today.?
Aerial search resumes as weather hampers search for missing fisherman off N.S.
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Published on
December 17, 2009
- Published on February 24, 2010
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The Canadian Press ~ The News
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Comments
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- Jamie
- - February 25, 2010 at 00:46:05
One really never knows how deadly those fishermans jobs are. I have many great fisherman friends from Yarmouth and surrounding areas . They work their guts out every year and risk their lives everyday to feed their families and make ends meet . Our thoughs and payers are with the families of those involved in this terrible incident and those involved in the search .
